So you’ve been riding for a while
now, you’re getting pretty good, you got a pretty solid bag of tricks, so what
do you do now? Make your first edit! This is a big step for any rider, because
this edit is most likely going to be posted on Youtube and shown to other
riders on forums and such.
It’s usually at this point that it all starts
to go wrong for most riders. This article is for riders who make “Sponsor Me”
edits, and various other edits that supposedly took “Months” to film and edit.
Unfortunately most of the time the finished product ends up looking like the
countless amount of other videos you’ve seen. Repetitive, badly filmed, same trendy
song, and the same trendy tricks. I really do wonder what it is about so many
riders that think if they do this, they will be recognized as a “good rider” by
any company or other group of riders.
I’ve been in the sport since 2001,
and I’ve seen my fair share of edits. I’ve seen the good, and I’ve seen a lot
of the bad..and I mean a lot. The worst part is that the things that make these
edits so bad, aren’t secrets. Half the time I have to think the rider in the
video knows he’s just filming trendy crap that everyone has seen a thousand
times. Are riders afraid to break away from the mindless group of sheep that only start doing tricks
once other people start doing them too? For the love of god, don’t you all have
brains?
When you’re out filming, and you
decide on a trick on any obstacle, or at any park, think about how many riders
have already done that trick a bunch of times in that same spot. Then ask
yourself (if you still want to do that trick) what can you do to make it
better? To make it stand out a little bit more. You can do it in a line, or you
can simply just try and go faster and bigger. But why would you want to do the
trick the same exact way as everyone else? Do you really think that’s helping
you land that super sick sponsorship, or get yourself noticed or respected? Oh,
I’m sorry you might be one of those “Cool” kids, who.. “Doesn’t care what other
riders think.” If that’s you, I’m sorry you continue to go and make your videos
that you post on Youtube In hopes that no one sees them, cause you “don’t care”
you little rebel you.
To all the “Street Riders” out
there, please try and get an understanding of what riding street means before
you go and make your “street edit” that you most likely only made to try and
appear cool. As you sit back and bash on park riding with the only reason for
doing so being that you see other riders do it too. Whatever you do, don’t
depend on other street scooter edits to get your motivation, because the
majority of them aren’t too good. Instead check out some skateboarding videos
or bmx videos, and find the common factor in those videos. One of them being,
Lines. Riders need to start doing more lines in their street videos. It shows
creativity, and consistency. But if you’re going to do a line in your edit, please,
don’t bother if you plan on moving at a snails pace. Almost ANY trick can look
clean if it’s done with enough speed. So before you even start your line, get
some serious pushes in there.
And mix it up! Seriously, a video
gets really boring when the same tricks are being done over and over. Would you
still watch The Walking Dead if the same thing happened every 10 minutes in
each episode? I doubt it. So why would anyone want to watch an edit of the same
tricks being done every other clip? Make it a point while you’re out filming to
get different clips. Also try and remember that your video should have some
bangers, or at least one solid banger. This is where it gets pretty vital.
Tailwhipping Wallenberg was sick when Addison did it. But is it sick again when
someone else does it, and uses it as their banger to their edit? Not really,
just doesn’t have the same shock factor. That’s not to say it isn’t still a
crazy trick. But it’s been done before, you know?. You want to use it as a
banger? Double tailwhip it. The banger of your edit, is the last clip or clips
that people are going to see before the video ends. That means, make it
memorable! Make it something that riders are going to want to watch again,
usually resulting in them watching your whole entire edit again if you threw
down hard enough. So think, plan out your banger, and your most likely going to
bleed a bit before landing it..so get over that.
A solid park edit is something
that is really hard to find now a days. These days we see “Park Edits” that
contain a bunch of air tricks, a bunch of hip tricks, maybe some spine tricks,
and almost all of them being landed so low that all you get is that one clip
before you’re on to the next one. For once it would be sick to see riders that
know how to actually ride a quarter pipe, or hip, or spine. So that when they
hit it and land a trick they actually landed high enough on the ramp to hit
another ramp, and *gasp* do another trick!? Park edits have become all about
hitting a quarter and throwing as many whips, spins, and combos into that one
air before you hit the ground, yes the ground, not the transition.
The worst part is, I know some of
these riders can do better than that. I look at someone like Dan Holm who
doesn’t get the respect he should because he isn’t throwing a million combos in
one air. But you know what Dan can do? Ride his skatepark. He rides it as well
as the bmx riders that ride it. That is something half of these kids that call
themselves “park riders” can’t do. Because they are choosing not to. Yes
Australia, I’m looking at you. You guys have an insane amount of skateparks all
around you, and yet you don’t ride them. You ride one obstacle at them. Park
riding doesn’t have the privilege of street riding where you can go and explore
and find new obstacles whenever you want. You only have what park builders
built in your skatepark. So from there it is up to you to find different lines,
gaps, and transfers. Especially when you’re filming an edit.
Overall, I just want riders to
start understanding that filming a real edit in hopes of getting sponsored or
having that edit be your “claim to fame” should take it a bit more seriously.
Now I’m not talking about going out and having fun and filming a day edit with
your friends or something. So don’t get this mistaken for me saying every time
you pick up your camera you have to be filming seriously and getting solid
clips. That’s not what I mean at all. I’m strictly referring to the Sponsor Me
edits, and the Edits that supposedly took months for one rider to finish.
/Endrant
